


the pieces are now yours to put in place (puzzle me)

by trustingno1



Series: marry me (today and every day) [2]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Codes & Ciphers, Epistolary, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-18
Updated: 2015-07-18
Packaged: 2018-04-09 22:25:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4366499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trustingno1/pseuds/trustingno1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Busy? You've been sitting on the couch for the last two days. When you're not frowning at me, you're looking up ciphers."</p><p>(John leaves Sherlock some puzzles to occupy him between cases).</p>
            </blockquote>





	the pieces are now yours to put in place (puzzle me)

**Author's Note:**

> My attempt at mimicking the style of John's blog, and ... trying something a bit different. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

> **11th July**  
>    
>  I've been giving Sherlock some puzzles to work on while we're between cases. See if you can figure this one out!  
>    
>  Slfn xs vrph plon. Odcb jlw.
> 
> 13 comments

  
  
What does it say?  
**Anonymous** 11 July  
  
"Pick up some milk". Caesarian shift. N = 3. Solved it in under a minute.  
**Sherlock Holmes** 11 July  
  
Sherlock!  
**John Watson** 11 July  
  
What?  
**Sherlock Holmes** 11 July  
  
You're meant to let people... never mind.  
**John Watson** 11 July  
  
What does that last bit say, then?  
**Mike Stamford** 11 July  
  
"Lazy git".  
**Sherlock Holmes** 11 July  
  
John thinks he's being amusing. He isn't.  
**Sherlock Holmes** 11 July  
  
Haha!  
**Mike Stamford** 11 July  
  
LOL  
**Harry Watson** 11 July  
  
I just told you how to solve it. How could you not figure it out?  
**Sherlock Holmes** 11 July  
  
He probably did. Just wanted to make you say it.  
**John Watson** 11 July  
  
Juvenile.  
**Sherlock Holmes** 11 July

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

> **12th July**  
>    
>  How about this one:  
>    
>  Kqrxmom tyxrpqt?
> 
> 13 comments

 

Keyed Caesar. Shift = 10. Took me a little longer because the key was "idiot".  
**Sherlock Holmes** 12 July  
  
haha awww.  
**Anonymous** 12 July  
  
Brilliant.  
**John Watson** 12 July  
  
Sarcasm?  
**Sherlock Holmes** 12 July  
  
No.  
**John Watson** 12 July  
  
CUTE.  
**Anonymous** 12 July  
  
Oh, that's sweet. :)  
**Molly Hooper** 12 July  
  
"Idiot". Love it!  
**Mike Stamford** 12 July  
  
oh, get a room.  
**theimprobableone** 12 July  
  
Fuck off.  
**Harry Watson** 12 July  
  
Language, Harry!  
**John Watson** 12 July  
  
But yeah, fuck off, mate.  
**John Watson** 12 July  
  
HAHA!!!!  
**Harry Watson** 12 July

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

> **15th July**
> 
>   
>  I've stumped Sherlock with this one :)  
>    
>  3112-6-1  
>  1509-3-1  
>  0108-7-2  
>  2107-7-5  
>    
>  2101-5-2  
>  3101-1-2  
>  0102-10-2  
>    
>  0105-5-1  
>  1912-2-2  
>  0101-9-4  
>  2801-1-4  
>  0207-3-9  
>    
>  2906-4-1  
>  1006-3-4  
>  ?
> 
> 30 comments

Really, John?  
**Sherlock Holmes** 15 July  
  
Really.  
**John Watson** 15 July  
  
This is petty.  
**Sherlock Holmes** 15 July  
  
Yes.  
**John Watson** 15 July  
  
:)  
**John Watson** 15 July  
  
he'll solve it  
**theimprobableone** 17 July  
  
Obviously.  
**Sherlock Holmes** 17 July  
  
It's been three days...  
**John Watson** 17 July  
  
I've been busy.  
**Sherlock Holmes** 17 July  
  
Busy? You've been sitting on the couch for the last two days. When you're not frowning at me, you're looking up ciphers.  
**John Watson** 17 July  
  
Is this how you spend your Friday nights lol?  
**Harry Watson** 17 July  
  
Some of them, admittedly.  
**Sherlock Holmes** 17 July.  
  
No.  
**John Watson** 17 July.  
  
lol big weekend planned?  
**Harry Watson** 17 July  
  
Mmn, not really. I've managed to acquire some fingers that should aid my work in documenting the skin damage ants can inflict post mortem.  
**Sherlock Holmes** 17 July  
  
I wish he was kidding. I'd stay out of the kitchen, Mrs. H.  
**John Watson** 17 July  
  
And probably at least two rounds of vigorous intercourse, assuming we have no cases on.  
**Sherlock Holmes** 17 July  
  
Possibly even if we do.  
**Sherlock Holmes** 17 July  
  
SHERLOCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
**John Watson** 17 July  
  
... yes?  
**Sherlock Holmes** 17 July  
  
Never mind. We're not having this conversation online!!  
**John Watson** 17 July  
  
We obviously are.  
**Sherlock Holmes** 17 July  
  
HAHAHAHA  
**Harry Watson** 17 July  
  
Boys!  
**Mrs Hudson** 17 July  
  
Christ.  
**John Watson** 17 July  
  
Not sure I'd be counting on those two rounds now ;)  
**Harry Watson** 17 July  
  
Harry ...  
**John Watson** 17 July  
  
Your contribution is noted.  
**Sherlock Holmes** 17 July  
  
Oi, keep it down up there!  
**Mrs Hudson** 17 July  
  
LOL!!!!  
**Harry Watson** 17 July

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

> 18th July
> 
>  
> 
> 3112-6-1  
>  1509-3-1  
>  0108-7-2  
>  2107-7-5  
>    
>  2101-5-2  
>  3101-1-2  
>  0102-10-2  
>    
>  0105-5-1  
>  1912-2-2  
>  0101-9-4  
>  2801-1-4  
>  0207-3-9  
>    
>  2906-4-1  
>  1006-3-4  
>  ?
> 
> 21 comments

 

omg  
**Anonymous** 18 July  
  
"omg"?  
**Sherlock Holmes** 18 July  
  
omg omg omg  
**Anonymous** 18 July  
  
John, what's an "omg"? Is it a hint?  
**Sherlock Holmes** 18 July  
  
No. :)  
**John Watson** 18 July  
  
THE NUMBER OF LETTERS  
**Anonymous** 18 July  
  
OMG  
**Anonymous** 18 July  
  
O  
**Anonymous** 18 July  
  
M  
**Anonymous** 18 July  
  
G  
**Anonymous** 18 July  
  
Stop doing that.  
**Sherlock Holmes** 18 July  
  
Why are they doing that?  
**Sherlock Holmes** 18 July  
  
I think they may have solved it.  
**John Watson** 18 July  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
**Anonymous** 18 July  
  
i come here to read about cases.  
**theimprobableone** 18 July  
  
I don't know why I haven't banned you.  
**John Watson** 18 July  
  
I doubt you'd be able to figure out how.  
**Sherlock Homes** 18 July  
  
Yet you haven't figured out my cipher ..  
**John Watson** 18 July  
  
It's not a cipher.  
**Sherlock Holmes** 18 July  
  
It's a made-up code.  
**Sherlock Holmes** 18 July  
  
That you can't solve. :)  
**John Watson** 18 July

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

> 21st July  
>    
>  Giving Sherlock one last chance to solve my cipher (sorry - "made-up code"). Anyone want to give him a hand?
> 
> 51 comments

  
  
I don't need help, John.  
**Sherlock Holmes** 21 July  
  
Right. My mistake.  
**John Watson** 21 July  
  
Oh, by the way, your brother texted me.  
**John Watson** 21 July  
  
Said he'd solved it.  
**John Watson** 21 July  
  
:)  
**John Watson** 21 July  
  
HOW?  
**Sherlock Holmes** 21 July  
  
Still think you don't need a hint?  
**John Watson** 21 July  
  
JOHN!! OH MY GOD!!  
**Harry Watson** 21 July  
  
:)  
**John Watson** 21 July  
  
Stop that.  
**Sherlock Holmes** 21 July  
  
I'm enjoying this.  
**John Watson** 21 July  
  
I know. It's intolerable.  
**Sherlock Holmes** 21 July  
  
I don't know what the code is, but the number of letters. John, is it - ? :)  
**Molly Hooper** 21 July  
  
If you're asking what I think you're asking, then yes.  
**John Watson** 21 July  
  
That's amazing! Congratulations!! :)  
**Molly Hooper** 21 July  
  
On what? And what do the number of letters mean? John?  
**Sherlock Holmes** 21 July  
  
Jesus. You can be really dense sometimes.  
**Sally Donovan** 21 July  
  
Go easy.  
**Greg Lestrade** 21 July  
  
To be fair, he probably never expected to be asked that.  
**Sally Donovan** 21 July  
  
Oi! It's nice. Really nice, John.  
**Greg Lestrade** 21 July  
  
Cheers, Greg.  
**John Watson** 21 July  
  
Good luck to you.  
**Sally Donovan** 21 July  
  
Who the hell are you?  
**Harry Watson** 21 July  
  
Leave it, Harry.  
**John Watson** 21 July  
  
Sherlock, we're all waiting for you to figure it out.  
**Mrs Hudson** 21 July  
  
You solved it, too?  
**Sherlock Holmes** 21 July  
  
Dear, it wasn't hard.  
**Mrs Hudson** 21 July  
  
HAHA!!  
**Harry Watson** 21 July  
  
Haha.  
**John Watson** 21 July  
  
lol!  
**Bill Murray** 21 July  
  
DEAD.  
**Anonymous** 21 July  
  
Before you ask; not literally, Sherlock.  
**John Watson** 21 July  
  
And because I think this is rapidly becoming something that's just going to make you shoot up our living room (again), your key is:  
**John Watson** 21 July  
  
What you've always said is the most romantic thing about me.  
**John Watson** 21 July  
  
AWWWW.  
**Harry Watson** 21 July  
  
Adorable.  
**Billy Murray** 21 July  
  
Shut up.  
**John Watson** 21 July  
  
Your willingness to perform fellatio without asking me to shower first?  
**Sherlock Holmes** 21 July  
  
JESUS CHRIST SHERLOCK  
**John Watson** 21 July  
  
NO.  
**John Watson** 21 July  
  
NO. NO. NO. DELETE THAT.  
**John Watson** 21 July  
  
Hmmm, something else? Give me a minute.  
**Sherlock Holmes** 21 July  
  
Quick, before he takes it back haha.  
**Harry Watson** 21 July  
  
Haha.  
**Greg Lestrade** 21 July  
  
It's this, isn't it? Your blog. Your blog has always been an overly romanticized version of what we do. It's the key. That's clever. But how is it the key? That doesn't make sense. But it's significant, somehow. Your blog. THINK.  
**Sherlock Holmes** 21 July.  
  
Yes, the blog is your key.  
**John Watson** 21 July  
  
Oh  
**Sherlock Holmes** 21 July  
  
OH  
**Sherlock Holmes** 21 July  
  
John  
**Sherlock Holmes** 21 July  
  
JOHN  
**Sherlock Holmes** 21 July  
  
Knew you'd get there eventually :)  
**John Watson** 21 July

 

* * *

 

 

 

> **22nd July**  
>    
>  It doesn't take a genius to figure this one out, but for those of you still following this puzzle:  
>    
>  he said yes - or "Yes, you idiot," to be exact.  
>    
>  (Apologies again about all the noise, Mrs. Hudson!)
> 
>   
>  [Comments closed]

**Author's Note:**

> For reference - [Caesarian shift](http://rumkin.com/tools/cipher/caesar.php), a [keyed Caesar](http://rumkin.com/tools/cipher/caesar-keyed.php) and [John's blog](http://www.johnwatsonblog.co.uk/).
> 
> Thanks for reading! :)


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